Deputy Speaker, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism undertook an oversight visit to Gauteng on ... [Interjections.]
Try to manoeuvre your microphone so that it is closer to your mouth please.
The Portfolio Committee on Tourism undertook oversight visits to Gauteng in November 2014 and February 2015. The committee had to look into transformation in the tourism sector, the department and the industry; job creation and the quality thereof; visa regulations; and ways of making travel easier and less costly. Finally, they looked into tourism statistics. Meetings were held with the national Department of Tourism, South African Tourism, the business sector and the Minister.
The committee noted the underspending by the department on some critical projects, such as the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative and the Tourism Incentive Programme. The department gave an assurance that it had devised a strategy to spend the entire appropriated budget by the end of this financial year. However, the committee will look into that exactly at the end of the financial year and the beginning of the new financial year.
The Minister briefed the committee in Sandton on 6 February 2015 on various aspects of the Tourism Incentive Programme. He further reported on the forthcoming launch of the programme. The department will be reporting on that programme tomorrow.
There was a meeting and good interaction with the private sector, which gave its commitment to working with the government on a number of collaborative programmes initiated by the department to facilitate job creation opportunities.
There are some challenges in the department and the industry. These include airlift and connectivity; the cost of travel within South Africa and on the African continent; the visa regulations and the potential reduction of tourist arrivals; and the unnecessary expenditure on time and the finances pre travelling.
Statistics continue to be a challenge in the tourism sector. South African Tourism was not able to give a full report on achievements and some of their targets, as there were delays in the release of tourism statistics by Statistics SA.
The tourism industry is concerned that it is owed R350 million in unpaid receipts by government and that the tourism industry is not regulated. The committee made some recommendations in order to monitor the spending of the department in critical projects, such as the Tourism Incentive Programme; job creation and the quality of those jobs; and transformation in the department, as well as in the industry. The Department of Transport is to revisit the 2006 Airlift Strategy in order to look into the issues regarding airlift.
The hospitality industry is to collate a list of those who were not able to pay so that payment can be facilitated. Government departments are to pay their accounts to the hospitality industry within 30 days as required.
Visa regulations have to be reviewed and should strike a balance between national security and growth in tourism, as stated by the President in his state of the nation address.
It is important to review the Tourism Act of 2014 with a view to regulating the tourism industry. The tourism industry is to be regulated for the following reasons: to get realistic information on occupancy, on tourist arrivals, and on labour issues.
I really would request this House to consider and adopt this report. Siyaqhuba! [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Deputy Speaker, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Declarations of vote:
Hon Deputy Speaker, it is important to report on those submissions from our oversight visit that stood out as critical to growth in the tourism industry.
Although tourism in South Africa has proved to be profitable for people in some areas of the nation, there are still many serious problems facing our domestic and international tourism market. Allow me to unpack - with some proposals - what we believe are the most serious issues requiring attention. Firstly, the implementation of the new biometric visa requirements for travellers is already proving to be a serious obstacle for people wanting to visit our country. The impact on our economy is severe, and we have proof of this. The solution to this would be to issue electronic visas and then do the biometrics part upon arrival. We need to streamline tourist visa applications to our country.
Secondly, the affordability problem and the limited geographic spread are just two of the negative factors impacting on our domestic tourism market. In an attempt to make suggestions on how to deal with these obstacles, I have previously submitted questions on the audit of the current products, especially in rural areas, given the fact that there are many poorly developed and poorly maintained government-funded tourist attractions that remain underused throughout the country.
In fact, there are more than 700 municipal resorts that were identified as underused. This is really a pity, considering that these resorts - which were built with taxpayers' money - are located in various small towns and are consequently becoming a huge liability for those municipalities. The solution is to partner with the private sector to develop affordable holiday resorts that will target new budget domestic markets. There is clearly a lacklustre approach to turning these resorts around. The resorts, if sorted out, could go a long way towards boosting domestic tourism figures and helping small and rural communities.
Ultimately the key focus of the Department of Tourism must cover the actions and policy shifts required to deal with the current discourse between tourism and poverty alleviation, because the mere fact that tourism takes place does not mean that money trickles down to the poor. Ultimately, then, we need real measures to ensure that tourism does reduce poverty and, with that, creates more employment opportunities and ultimately more emerging small businesses and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry.
The DA supports the Report. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, with tourism in South Africa being one of the few sectors on a steadily increasing growth trajectory, it must, as is stated in this Report, receive priority status.
We see tourist hot spots such as Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden recording more than a million visitors. The number of people who visited the City of Durban last year increased by 13% over the previous year. The fact is that tourism remains a sector that contributes to our economy and creates employment.
I was unable to attend the oversight visit due to prior party commitments but I am fully supportive of the objectives and outcomes in the Report and of this portfolio committee.
One issue that I would like to raise, though, is that of visa regulations. The current status quo, of bureaucracy and red tape, surrounding the issue of tourism visas to South Africa is a hindrance and obstacle to greater tourism growth. We must move quickly into a visa-issuing regime that is fast and user-friendly. We must be able to compete not only globally but also on the continent as a tourist destination.
In this respect we fully support calls for a shift to an e-visa regime, as well as the introduction of innovations like visa-free regions such as the one currently being used by the Economic Community of West African States, Ecowas, or the single-destination tourist visa currently in use by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
We believe these will be the keys to unlocking the full potential of South Africa as a high tourist-growth destination country. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, we welcome the new revised tourism incentive framework, which gives direction to the implementation of the Tourism Incentive Programme.
We also want to say that we reaffirm the commitment to relook at the entire matter of the regime for visa applications. We want to explore new technology systems in the area of visa applications that will facilitate easy travel to South Africa, be it for business, leisure or educational purposes. The President, in his state of the nation address, reconfirmed the relook at the visa applications regime. Therefore, as a country we are committed to looking into other technologies that can ease access of travel to South Africa.
As the ANC we also want to say that we are committed to the transformation and growth of, and access to, the tourism industry and business sector. We remain committed to the cause of transforming this industry and transforming tourism for the benefit of all South Africans. We want to make sure that new entrants to this sector get the utmost acceptance, and that they are cultivated, given new skills and given the direction they need to succeed in the tourism industry and space. Thank you. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.